What YOU Need To Know About Dietary Supplements

Billions and billions and billions of dollars are spent on dietary supplements each year. And I receive countless emails on a weekly basis about every supplement under the sun.

We want results fast and we’re more than happy to get the results from a pill. Maybe you wouldn’t mind getting results from a pill – but there are few shortcuts when it comes to toning your arms.

The main issue here, however, is that most women have no idea as to what happens behind the supplement companies’ doors.

So, here is what YOU need to know about dietary supplements:

1. Just because they are marketed as “natural” does NOT mean they are safe: Any matter that goes down your throat, whether it be food or a supplement, is going to cause a chemical reaction. And many things found in nature will cause a lethal chemical reaction.

2. The 1994 DSHEA deregulated the industry: Pharmaceuticals have to go through an extremely rigorous process of clinical trials as established by the FDA. Dietary supplements, on the other hand, are not subject to upfront testing before being put on the store shelves.

In fact, it’s the government’s responsibility to prove that a supplement is unsafe before it’s taken off the market. It’s easy to see how this can create issues when there is a multitude of new supplements hitting the market all the time-it’s virtually impossible to keep tabs on everything.

3. The manufacturers are “good hearted” and prioritize your health: A business cannot survive unless it remains profitable. As a result, there is always going to be a tug of war between quality, purity, safety and cost reduction. Unfortunately, many manufacturers disproportionately focus on the cost reduction side of the equation.

4. More is better: Virtually any nutrient in excess can kill you. Drink too much water and you die. Eat too much protein without any fat and you die. Have too much vitamin D and your blood vessels can calcify. Have too much calcium and you can end up with kidney stones.

The solution? MODERATION.

Even too much fish oil can damage your heart! I recommend having no more than 100% DV for ANY supplemental nutrient unless your physician recommends otherwise.

More often than not, you are better off spending your hard earned money on high quality food than on supplements. And keep in mind that your body actually absorbs food much better than supplements because of all the synergies between natural nutrients.

And if you do decide to take a supplement, make sure it’s from a reputable manufacturer!